Cong MLAs seek ‘respect’ from own party members

“We are Congress legislators. We don’t get any respect anywhere. Union ministers (Congress) do not meet us. We can’t even get two railway tickets confirmed—we are treated like a dirt,” said a Congress MLA from a corner at the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) at Vidhan Bhawan on Friday.

“We do fight for the cause of the people. We are ready to go to jail and face the ‘lathis’ of the police. Now our constituency is facing the fury of floods. Who is going to help us? How to get in touch with these union ministers? They have become inaccessible. Will you suggest a way out,” asked another legislator.

As State Congress chief Nirmal Khatri reached the CLP office to attend the meeting, the legislators found it an apt opportunity to voice the apathy/problems they had been facing from their own party members.

“Bhanwar Jitendra Singh is a union minister. He comes to Gorakhpur but never informs us. If he meets us then officers there will get a different message. I have 23 cases registered against me – all for taking up the cause of the people- but who cares for us,” said another MLA. “We are not being treated any better by the state government.

CLP leader Pradeep Mathur and other senior leaders may have met chief minister. But most of us have not been able to meet the CM. Our projects are not being sanctioned- we are not being involved in the implementation of central projects- the government keeps the centrally sponsored projects a closely guarded secret- where do we go for help,” said another MLA.

“We are working out an arrangement for better coordination. ” said Khatri. Meanwhile, a Congress delegation on Friday went to Raj Bhavan to give a memorandum demanding scrapping of the state government’s decision to bring down to two years the tenure of management committees of cooperative societies.